SALT LAKE CITY —; At the Saturday afternoon session of the 172nd Semi-annual General Conference, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked Church members to sustain a previously announced change in the Presidency of the Seventy. A change in the Sunday School general presidency was announced along with the callings of five General Authorities and a new general presidency of the Young Women. Six General Authorities were released from full-time service and 21 Area Authorities also were released.
Elder Ben B. Banks was named an emeritus General Authority and released from the Presidency of the Seventy. He received an expression of thanks for his 14 years of service to the Church. As previously announced, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has been named to replace Elder Banks in the Presidency of the Seventy. His call to serve was sustained today by Church members.
Because of his assignment in the Philippines Area Presidency, Elder Richard J. Maynes was released as second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency. Called and sustained to replace him was Elder Val R. Christensen .
The new General Authorities called as members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy are Elder Craig C. Christensen, Provo, Utah; Elder James M. Dunn, Salt Lake City, Utah; Elder D. Rex Gerratt, Burley, Idaho Elder Daryl H. Garn, Mesa, Arizona, and Elder Spencer V. Jones , Orem, Utah.
Released from their service as General Authorities in the Second Quorum of the Seventy were Elder Richard D. Allred, Elder Athos M. Amorim , Elder L. Edward Brown, Elder Earl M. Monson and Elder Jerald L. Taylor.
Members of the Seventy have responsibility for administering the work of the Church throughout the world under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some of them also have executive responsibilities in a number of Church departments. Those called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy serve for a period of about six years.
A new Young Women general presidency was also announced. Sister Susan W. Tanner was called as the general president of the Young Women, the Church�s organization for teen-age girls. Sister Julie B. Beck and Sister Elaine S. Dalton will serve as first and second counselors. Margaret D. Nadauld, Carol B. Thomas and Sharon G. Larsen were released and received an expression of gratitude for their five years of leadership of the young women of the Church.
Second Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Craig C. Christensen, 46, was serving as an Area Authority Seventy for the Utah South Area prior to his call as a General Authority. A Utah native, he attended Brigham Young University (BYU), graduating with a degree in accounting and economics. He later earned an MBA from the University of Washington. He has worked as a business executive and is currently self-employed, overseeing his own real estate development and auto dealership businesses. Elder Christensen has served the Church as a mission president, stake high councilor, bishop, elders quorum president, and full-time missionary. He is married to Debora Jones Christensen, and they have four children.
Elder James M. Dunn, 62, was serving as an Area Authority Seventy in the Utah North Area prior to being sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Born in Pocatello, Idaho, he attended BYU, graduating with a degree in Latin American Studies. He later earned a law degree from the University of Utah. Early in his legal career he worked as a deputy county attorney and an assistant U.S. attorney. Now retired, he was a founding partner in the law firm of Jardine, Linebaugh & Dunn. Elder Dunn has served the Church as a mission president, stake president, stake high councilor, bishop, branch president and full-time missionary. He and his wife, Penny, are the parents of six children.
Elder Daryl H. Garn,
63, was serving as an Area Authority Seventy for the North America
Southwest Area prior to today�s call. Born in Tremonton, Utah, he
and his family now live in Mesa, Arizona. An orthodontist by
profession, Elder Garn is a graduate of Utah State University
(USU). He earned his DDS degree at Western Reserve University,
followed by a masters degree in orthodontics from Temple
University. Elder Garn has served the Church as a Regional
Representative, mission president�s counselor, stake president,
stake high councilor, bishop, and full-time missionary. He and his
wife, Irene Hall Garn, are the parents of six children.
Elder D. Rex Gerratt, 66, served as an Area Authority Seventy
for the Idaho Area before his call to the Second Quorum of the
Seventy. Born in Heyburn Idaho, he and his family now reside in
Burley. He attended USU and makes his living as a dairy farmer. He
has been inducted into the Idaho Dairy Hall of Fame and the
Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of Fame, and in1994 he was recognized
as Conservation Farmer of the Year. Elder Gerratt has served the
Church as a Regional Representative, mission president, stake
president, bishop, high priests group leader, and Church service
missionary. He and his wife, Marjorie, are the parents of nine
children.
Elder Spencer V. Jones, 57, served as an Area Authority Seventy for the North America Southeast Area and resided in the Dominican Republic before being named today as a General Authority. Originally from Safford, Arizona, he attended BYU where he earned a degree in animal science. A long-time resident of Orem, Utah, and a businessman by profession, Elder Jones has been involved in a variety of businesses including a furniture company, a cattle company and a mobile home park.
He has served the Church as a mission president, area executive secretary, stake high councilor, bishop, seminary teacher and full-time missionary. Elder Jones is married to Joyce Mathews Jones, and they have three children.
Young Women General Presidency
Sister Susan W. Tanner, newly called general president of the Young Women, was serving as a member of the general board of the Relief Society prior to her call to direct the Church�s program for the 520,000 young women in the Church between the ages of 12 -18. Sister Tanner earned a bachelor�s degree in Humanities from BYU and has led an active life as a homemaker, enjoying hiking with her family and serving as a 4-H leader. Residing in Provo, she has served the Church as a stake Relief Society counselor, stake Primary counselor, stake Young Women president, ward Primary president and ward Young Women president. Sister Tanner and her family have traveled extensively in connection with her husband�s international assignments as a university professor. Sister Tanner is married to Dr. John S. Tanner. They are the parents of one son and four daughters and have three grandchildren.
Sister Julie B. Beck, called today as first counselor in the general presidency of the Young Women, was serving as a member of the Young Women general board. After earning a bachelor�s degree in Family Science from BYU, she has devoted herself to her family and used her musical talents to teach piano lessons and encourage her children in their musical accomplishments. Her Church experience includes service as a ward Young Women president and advisor, ward Primary president, stake Relief Society counselor and teacher, and ward Relief Society counselor and teacher. She served together with her husband Ramon P. Beck, in a branch at the Missionary Training Center in Provo for four years. As a young girl, she lived in Brazil for five years and remains fluent in Portugese. Beck and her husband are the parents of three children and eight grandchildren.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton of Salt Lake City was named today as second counselor in the Young Women general presidency. She has most recently served on the general board of the Young Women. A graduate of BYU, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She has served in the Church as an advisor to Relief Societies in three young single adult wards, as a stake Young Women president, counselor and advisor, and Relief Society teacher. In her role as a full time mother, she has become a marathon runner to participate with her children who are all runners. Sister Dalton is married to Stephen E. Dalton and has worked with him in their family-owned design business. They have five sons and one daughter and are grandparents of three.
Area Authorities
Also announced today were
the releases of 21 Area Authority Seventies. Area Authorities give
voluntary Church service in support of Area Presidencies within
their assigned geographic areas. Released as Area Authority
Seventies: Paulo C. Amorim, 40, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Carl W. Bacon,
68, Provo, Utah; Bruce B. Bingham, 53, Sleepy Hollow, Illinois; O.
Brent Black, 65, Salt Lake City, Utah; Antonio Cappi, 53,
Montevideo, Uruguay; Victor D. Cave, 54, West Pennant Hills,
Australia;
Craig C. Christensen, 46, Provo, Utah; James M. Dunn, 62, Salt
Lake City, Utah; David W. Ferrel, 62, Germantown, Maryland; Daryl
H. Garn, 63, Mesa, Arizona; D. Rex Gerratt, 66, Burley, Idaho;
Mario E. Guzmán, 69, Cochabamba, Bolivia; Spencer V. Jones, 57,
Orem, Utah; Hitoshi Kashikura, 63, Kanagawa-ken, Japan; Chong-Youl
Kim, 61, Kyonggi-do, Korea; Richard K. Klein, 67, Salt Lake City,
Utah; John Maxwell, 63, Clayworth Nr. Retford, England; Wolfgang H.
Paul, 62, Niddatal, Germany; Keith L. Smith, 53, Hilliard, Ohio;
Juan Uceda, 49, Lima, Peru; Claudio D. Zivic, 53, Buenos Aires,
Argentina.